"The most beautiful emotion we can experience is the mystical.
It is the power of all true art and science. He to whom this
emotion is a stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand rapt
in awe, is as good as dead. To know that what is impenetrable
to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom
and the most radiant beauty, which our dull faculties can
comprehend only in their most primitive forms---this knowledge,
this feeling, is at the center of true religiousness. In this
sense, and in this sense only, I belong to the rank of devoutly
religious men." ---Albert Einstein

This ain't your normal travelogue. In the context of the above
quote, this is an American Hajj, or as Elwood Blues put it, "we're
on a Mission From God." A photographer's first exposure to
natural wonders he's always fantasized about visiting, that also
happen to be American Icons: the Grand Canyon & Monument Valley,
and a photographic icon, Antelope Canyon.

Fate is a funny thing. I had been vaguely thinking
about a September trip out west (Colorado? Utah?) back during
the busy month of June. At that same time, my parents were taking
a three week trip across the continent, mostly via Amtrak. Upon
their return, they insisted that my sister and myself *must* see
some of the amazing sights they saw, and also insisted on paying
for it.

Well, it was a struggle, but I managed to free some
room on my dance card (Thanks, Mom & Dad!).

But my trip was very different from theirs, or my
sister's, or that of 99.4% of the public. Most people go on vacation
to get away from their work. Those same people would say that
I take mine with me. But I would be absolutely lost without my
cameras in such incredible places, and consequently, the trip
revolves around chasing the sun, scenic locales, and photography
in general. It's in my blood. The link below, PhotoDude on Photo-Safari,
may shed some light on this mentality.

Some may think I take this far too seriously, pretentiously
eating up valuable bandwidth with babbling text and voluminous
JPG's about my silly summer vacation.